Oklahoma Republican James Inhofe said Monday that the late John McCain is "partially to blame" for the controversy over the White House's raising and subsequent lowering of the flag in honor of McCain's death. Inhofe argues that McCain's own behavior is to blame for the White House's cold treatment.
"Well, you know, frankly, I think that John McCain is partially to blame for that, because he is very outspoken," Inhofe told CNN Monday. "He disagreed with the President in certain areas and wasn't too courteous about it."
"We are dealing with a hero when we deal with Senator McCain," Inhofe said during his floor speech about McCain, according to the Hill. "He wasn't always the most lovable person to be around, but he was a fighter and never shied away from a good fight."
US President Donald Trump issued a statement that despite "differences on policy and politics," he respects the late Senator.
Trump and McCain have been in an open confrontation, with Trump denying McCain the status of war hero during his 2015 campaign, and McCain single-handedly torpedoing the vote on repealing Obamacare.
A long-time Russia critic, McCain blamed Trump for his conduct during the Helsinki summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year.
"The damage inflicted by President Trump's naivete, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake," McCain said at the time.